The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-07-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Notes on the Lesson for July II
John the Baptist"

The subject of the lesson for the above date
will be found in the first twelve verses of the
third chapter Of Matthew Time, A ID. ~,
nearly thirty years after the events Of last
lesson See Connecting LINK" Places,
Jerusalem, Wilderness OF Judea, and the re-
gion OF the Jordan
SPECIAL MENTION.
John the BdptiSt-He was the son of an
aged priest, Zaci.arias, and Elizabeth, the
cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus. Hence
he was the second cousin of Jesus. He was
born probably in June, Il. &. 3, in an un-
named city in the hill country of Judea. he
was six months older than Jesus. lie was
NaZarte, pledged TO drink no WINE nor
strong drink, and to let his hair and beard
grow untrimmed, as a sign OF conservation TO
God (see Mum ~. He was filled with the
Holy Spirit from his birth His early life, up
10 thirty years OF age, was passed in the soil
tudes OF the wilderness of Judea, where he
was prepared for his great mission as the
forerunner OF the Messiah. He preached for
nearly two years from the summer OF A ID.
20 TO the winter of A. ID. 2o) For almost
year his preaching was contemporary with the
preaching of Jesus. Then he was shut up in
the castle OF Machaerus by Herod Antipas,
and was beheaded in March, A ID. 20 Cooks
Comparative Quarterly
The Wilderness Of Juded-The wilderness
of Judea" is quite an extensive region. 1t sets
in on the parallel of the southern end OF the
Dead Sea- and, maintaining an average width
of ten miles, extends northward along the
whole of the western shore of that sea, and SIX
or seven miles farther north. All of this re-
gion consists of barren ridges OF naked lime
stone, with deep, narrow ravines between, the
ridges usually lying east and west and drain
ing into the Dead Sea- 1t also includes the
western half of the Jordan plain for six or
seven miles north OF the Dead Sea This por-
ton of the plain Is as desolate as the mount
aims west of it The statement, then, that
John came preaching in the wilderness
of Judea" would be very indefinite
but for its limitation in verse
q, which locates him on the western bank OF
the Jordan. The two statements combined in
dictate clearly the part of the river at which he
began his work, and contine il to the last six
miles OF the rivers course. 1t is just in this
section of the river, about four miles from its
mouth that tradition, guided by the Scrip
lures and by the confguration of the rivers
bed and bank, has fixed the place of baptizing.
The river is here about 40 feet wide at its or
binary summer stage, and about eight feet
deep near the eastern bank. Both banks have
a gradual slope down TO the waters edge and
on the western side the bottom OF the river
has gradual descent over gravelly bottom
to any depth desired for bapuzng (Ecclesi-
astical Bible Commentary
The Kingdom Of HcdVen-Of this express
sion il may be said, % it is used only by Mat
thew in the gospels CT 1t refers TO the
declare himself; (3) while IN the world 1t is
not of the world; az il was formally inau-
gurated after the resurrection of Christ, on
the day of Pentecost; (5) it includes all who
love and accept Christ the Saviour; (6) ii is
advanced in the earth through the consecrat-
ed labors of believers; a. 1t Is possible for
all TO enjoy its blessings.
The PdriSees and .SddduceeS-The Phari-
sees were the most numerous and wealthy sect
of the Jews They derived their name from the
Hebrew word phdraSh, which signifies to set
apart, or to separate, because they separated
themselves from the rest OF their couStry,
professedly devoting themselves to peculiar
strlctness III religion. They believed that the
world was governed by fate; that the souls OF
men were immortal; that they were eternally
happy or miserable beyond the grave; that the
dead would be raised; that there were angels,
good and bad; that God was under obllga-
ton to bestow peculiar favor on the Jews;
and that they were justified before God by
their conformity TO the law of Moses The
Sadducees were antagonistlc to the Pharl-
sees, and are supposed TO have taken their
name from Sadok, who flourished about 26O
years Il. c. They held that there is no resur-
rection, neither angel nor spirit, and that the
soul of man perishes with the body They
rejected the doctrine of fate. They rejected
all traditions, and professed to receive only
the books OF the Old Testament They were
far less numerous than the Pharisees, but
their want of numbers was compensated by
their wealth and standing IN society. They
were not so religious as the Pharisees, but
neither were they so pretentous. Though
they did not generally seek Office, yet several
of them were advanced TO the high priesthood.
While the Sadducees were rich and voluptu-
Gus, the Pharisees had become formal, self
righteous hypocritical and malignant
LESSON LINK.
Very little is said of the boyhood OF Jesus in
the Scriptures. The Apocryphal Gospels are
full of marvellous stories concerning II. In
this we can readily distinguish the true from
the false narratives The true narratives
never minister to mere curiosity. Those who
are interested TO know what can be well and
wisely said Of the boyhool of Jesus should
read chaps IS, of Farrar's Life of Christ
and chap of Abbotts Jesus OF Nazareth.
The visit of Jesus TO Jerusalem when he was
twelve years of age, Is described III Luke ::
| 4l-52. Beyond this we know nothing. All Is
summed up in one single sentence--he was
subject to his parents" (EccL Bib. Comm.
The infant Savior has grown to manhood.
and the period when the main work of His
life must be accomplished has arrived. Hi
| reputed father, Joseph, after living for some
| years a carpenter at Nazareth, had die i.
His maternal brothers and sisters had grown
! up around him. The prodigies which at
tended his birth had almost passed from
memory His younger brothers, Ignorant OF
| the occurrence doubted his claims to the
| Messiahship. His mother almost alone re-
tanned the remembrance undimmed. (Whe-
| dom. This chapter contains the history OF
| a whole dspensation: In those days came
! John. This is my beloved Son." some
| times q ulspensdtlOn cell
| turtles; in this case IL was comparatively but
| an hour. God makes history with varying de
grees of rapdity. Hardly had we finished the
awful words of Malachi, ~Smite the earth
with curse" when we read, BLESSED are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom OF
heaven" (Parker)
@Hs best teaching was derived from imme-
date insight into his fathers will. Nor mus
we lose sight of the fact that ii was in these
silent, unrecorded years that great part OF
| his work was done. In these years he began
| TO do long before he began TO teach. They
| were the years OF a sinless childhood, sin
| less boyhood, a sinless youth, sinless man
| hood, spent in that humility, toll, OBJ
security, submission, contentment prayer,
| - make them an eternal ex-
| ample 10 all our race" (Farrar.) Meanwhile
great political changes had taken place in
| Palestine. Archelaus had been banished, the
semblance of kingly authority possessed by
| Herod the Great had been taken away, and
Judea was ruled directly by the Romans,
| through a governor or procurator Pontius
| Plate Galikee continued under the rule OF
| Herod Antipas; and all of Christ's fe and
ministry continued under the civil admins
traton of these two men, Antipas in Galilee
| and Pontius Plate in Judea luke 3: y. (Ab-
| bott) But now the time of his public minis
try draws near. John the Baptist, his fore.
| runner, has begun his preaching, and baptism
| of repentance, during the summer and autumn
months; and Jesus begins his public teach
ings as the Messiah.
Subject of the lesson for July ~, %The Bap.
! tism of John. Matt 3: 1911